simplicity

[sim-plis-i-tee]

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noun, plural sim·plic·i·ties.

the state, quality, or an instance of being simple.

freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts: an organism of great simplicity.

absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness: a life of simplicity.

freedom from deceit or guile; sincerity; artlessness; naturalness: a simplicity of manner.

lack of mental acuteness or shrewdness: Politics is not a field for simplicity about human nature.

Origin of simplicity

1325–75; Middle English simplicite (< Old French simplicité) < Latin simplicitās simpleness, equivalent to simplici- (stem of simplex) simplex + -tās -ty²

Related formsnon·sim·plic·i·ty, noun, plural non·sim·plic·i·ties.o·ver·sim·plic·i·ty, nounsu·per·sim·plic·i·ty, noun

Synonyms for simplicity

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4. candor, directness, honesty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for simplicity

modesty, candor, restraint, unity, purity, clarity, integrity, directness, chastity, severity, uniformity, singleness, ease, easiness, homogeneity, naturalness, monotony, innocence, openness, plainness

Examples from the Web for simplicity

Contemporary Examples of simplicity

Newman imparts a simplicity and a boyish eagerness to his characters.
The Stacks: The Eyes of Winter: Paul Newman at 70
Peter Richmond
October 11, 2014
The value of the rapid diagnostic test lies in its simplicity.
This New Ebola Test Is As Easy As a Pregnancy Test, So Why Aren’t We Using It?
Abby Haglage
October 3, 2014
The emphasis on freshness and simplicity laid forth by the governmental guidelines is in line with his cooking ethos.
Meet the Chef Fighting to Ensure That Brazilians Will Never Be as Fat as Americans
Brandon Presser
June 25, 2014
But the problem is aggravated immeasurably by the simplicity of current-day pop music.
Did Led Zeppelin Steal ‘Stairway to Heaven’?
Ted Gioia
May 25, 2014
Furthermore, the simplicity of his clothes belied their technical virtuosity, their status.
When Fashion Met Art: Andy Warhol & Halston’s Decades-Long Friendship
Raquel Laneri
May 21, 2014

Historical Examples of simplicity

Simplicity and self-forgetfulness were manifest in carriage and utterance.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Yet something new, inexplicable, thwarted her and changed the simplicity of her passion.
The Dream
Emile Zola
The bluntness of Lizzie's speech disconcerted him, and yet the simplicity of it reassured him.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine
I did not laugh at her simplicity, nor did I smile or feel any inclination to smile.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson
He let them do so in the innocence of his heart and the simplicity of his mind.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for simplicity

simplicity

noun

the quality or condition of being simple

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for simplicity

late 14c., "singleness of nature, unity, indivisibility; immutability," from Old French simplicite (12c., Modern French simplicité), from Latin simplicitatem (nominative simplicitas) "state of being simple, frankness, openness, artlessness, candor, directness," from simplex (genitive simplicis) "simple" (see simplex). Sense of "ignorance" is from c.1400; that of "simplicity of expression, plainness of style" is early 15c.

Middle English also had simplesse, from French, attested in English from mid-14c. in sense "humility, lack of pride," late 14c. as "wholeness, unity;" c.1400 as "ignorance."